Floral base



July 17, 1962 FLORAL BASE Filed May 22, 1959 INVENT GEORGE TEU Zifibi m ATTORNEY G. TEUFEL 3,044,200

United States This invention relates to a new and useful floral base for the formation of bouquets or various floral arrangements.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a floral base having novel means for holding floral members thereon in a predetermined relation.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of the type described which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, and in general simplifies the formation of various types of floral arrangements.

Briefly stated, the invention resides in a base member preferably formed from a thin bendable metallic sheet material such as aluminum or tin. The base is provided with a plurality of tab members disposed in a novel aratent Gflice rangement for securely holding floral members on the v panying drawings which illustrate preferred forms of the device. It is to be understood, however, that the inven tion may take still other forms and that all such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended.

claim which will occur to persons skilled in the art are included in the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one form of the floral base utilizing the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the floral base of FIG- URE l with a floral display arranged thereon;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of another form of floral base member utilizing the principles of the present invention.

Referring first particularly to FIGURES 1-3, which show one form of the invention, the floral base, designated generally by the numeral 10, is preferably formed from a thin metallic material. Such base may be stamped in a mass production from sheets of such material, which material preferably is bendable so that portions of the base can be readily clamped on or wrapped around portions of plants P which form the arrangement.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, the base 10 may be sectorshaped, with the angle at the point of origin for the bouquet, designated by the numeral 11, comprising 120, whereby three of such base members may be formed from a circular piece of material, although it is to be understood, of course, that various other shapes of base member may be utilized. Formed in the flared base member 10 is a plurality of tabs 12 each having an unsevered portion forming a hinge 14. By means of such hinge the tabs may be bent upwardly for inserting a plant portion thereunder and then bent downwardly to hold the plant portion in place, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3.

3,044,200 Patented July 17, 1962 Tabs 12 preferably have rounded end portions 15 whereby a worker may grasp the tab without injuring his fingers. These tabs are arranged in pairs and the tabs in a pair are disposed in a straight line with the point of origin 11, such straight line arrangement being illustrated by broken lines 16 in FIGURE 1. Also, the two tabs in a set are hinged at opposite ends to provide an improved anchoring arrangement for the plant stems whereby the floral members cannot move laterally in either direction and also cannot move axially because of the frictional engagement of the tabs therewith and. also because of the engagement of the tabs with leaf stems or the like.

The base 10 has finger members 18 formed therein by cut lines 19 disposed adjacent the radial side edges, these fingers having an unsevered portion adjacent the point of origin of the base member, such unsevered portion forming a hinge 20. Fingers 18 are adapted to be wrapped around the plant stems adjacent the ends thereof as shown in FIGURE 2, to firmly anchor such ends on the base.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a slightly modified form of the invention. In this form a base member 24 assumes a rectangular configuration with one corner 25 of the rectangle comprising a point of origin for the bouquet. Base member 24 has tab members 26 struck therein, and similar to the FIGURE 1 embodiment the tabs are arranged in sets with the tabs in each set disposed on a straight line with the point of origin 25. The tabs in a set are hinged at opposite ends for the purpose set out in connection with the FIGURE 1 embodiment.

Base member 24 has a plurality of fingers 28 formed by cut lines 30 adjacent the point of origin of the base. After mounting the plant portions of the bouquet under the tabs 26, fingers 28 are bent over the stems to anchor the ends of the stems firmly in place. One or more apertures 32 are provided in the base member whereby, if desired, plant stems may be projected therethrough to be disposed behind the base, in which case one or more of the fingers 28 may be bent rearwardly to anchor the stems on this side of the base.

It will therefore be seen that by means of the present invention a floral piece can be readily made by an unexperienced person. The floral members of the arrangement are firmly anchored in place by means of the tabs whereby the floral piece can be conveniently handled and shipped without displacement of any of the parts. It is to be understood that the sets of tabs 12 or 26 may include more than two tabs because obviously any number of such tabs may be arranged in alignment to accomplish the desired purpose.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A floral base comprising a flat, sheet metal body member assuming a flared configuration and having a point of origin, tab member s struck in said body member in spaced relation from the point of origin and having one unsevered end forming a hinge whereby the tabs are adapted to be bent over portions of floral pieces to clamp the latter on the body member, said tab members being arranged in sets with at least two tab members in a set and with said two tab members in a set being disposed on a straight line leading from said point of origin and at right angles to the straight line, the alternate tab mem- 3 hers in a set being hinged at opposite ends from each other, and an elongated finger struck in said body'memher and having one unsevered end adjacent the point of origin forming a hinge whereby said finger is adapted to be wrapped around the floral pieces for anchoring the 5 latter at said point of origin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 163,132 Andrews et a1 May 11, 1875 10 4 Snow Apr. 25, 1893 Ross Dec. 25, 1923 De Meester Sept. 12, 1939 White Nov. 4, 1947 Harris May 6, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Feb. 7, 1895 Germany Aug. 29, 1911 

